Two Christian university presidents issued an open letter to Jewish students, condemning the rise in Pro-Hamas demonstrations across the country, the Daily Wire reported.
Indiana Wesleyan University President Jon Kulaga and Colorado Christian University President Eric Hogue released the joint letter to “express [their] profound shock and indignation in response to the surge of hate and violence directed against Jewish and Israeli individuals on university campuses across the United States earlier this year.”
They wrote that they “want to make it clear to our nation and the world that our Christian institutions will not tolerate this behavior,” adding, “We also want to express our profound concern that the terrible events we all witnessed at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year are already being forgotten. What we have all seen reveals a profound problem in the culture of many institutions, a problem which must be addressed.”
While academic institutions have largely “stood as a beacon of enlightenment, embodying the Judeo-Christian values of tolerance, freedom, and human dignity,” they wrote, “in recent days, what we have seen is an insidious darkness encroaching upon the academy. It is a darkness emblematic of other terrible periods in history.”
The university presidents then turned their attention to colleges that have welcomed clubs such as the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Such groups “not only refused to condemn the horrendous atrocities of October 7, 2023, but they celebrated them as legitimate acts of resistance beginning on October 8th.”
“Is it any wonder that eventually, the activities of SJP and organizations aligned with them ignited an inferno of violence and hate on countless campuses? No student club should be allowed to celebrate and justify such violence on any campus,” they wrote. “They will not be allowed to do so on our campuses. We are profoundly grieved by the loss of civilian life in this war, as in all wars. Still, it is morally clear to us how this all began on October 7, 2023.”
“All university administrators must take decisive action to root out the seeds of hatred on their campuses before roots of hate take hold in academic communities,” they wrote. “We call upon all seminaries and universities to review their commitment to upholding Biblical principles of inclusivity and diversity. Institutions should recommit themselves to creating and sustaining an environment on their campuses conducive to learning, modeling these values to all higher education institutions.”
“Finally, we want to extend a heartfelt invitation to Jewish and Israeli students to join us on our campuses. You will be welcomed, and you will be safe,” they concluded. “We stand with you in solidarity and thank you for your community’s stewardship through many centuries of the values underpinning our institutions.”
Anti-Israel protests swept across universities following the October 7 attack.
The terrorist group al-Qaeda celebrated anti-Israel protests occurring on U.S. college campuses, saying, “We were happy, and every Muslim was happy, with these revenge attacks and operations carried out by the youth of the Islamic nation, especially the heroes of the revenge action in the land of Canaan.”
“Let the people of Islam be encouraged to create groups that master the art of disciplining Jews, Americans, and those who are allied with them,” the statement added.
